Review of Ural icebreaker

NS Ural ("атомный ледокол Урал") is a new-design (and the world's largest) Russian nuclear icebreaker. "NS" stands for "nuclear ship". The vessel is state-owned (by the Russian Federation) and operated by Atomflot. The Atomflot company provides all Russian nuclear icebreakers with maintenance and technological services. The company also serves the country's special vessels fleet.

Among the newest Russian icebreaker ships, Ural is a Project 22220 (aka LK-60Ya) special class of 3 nuclear-powered ice-breakers currently under construction in Russia. Being the third in this series, NS Ural was laid down in September 2016 and expected to enter service in 2020. After its completion, this nuclear ship would become the world's third biggest and most powerful icebreaker, surpassing the "nuclear cruise ship" 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) by length (14 m longer) and width (4 m wider).

Negotiations between the Russian companies Atomflot and USC (United Shipbuilding Corporation) have been lengthy. In early 2013, the federal government allocated RUB (rubles) 86,1 billion (or ~USD 1,3 billion) for the project. Rosatom (also state-owned corporation) insisted that the two ice-breaking vessels should have a total building cost of RUB 77,5 billion (~USD 1,2 billion), but the offer was declined by the shipbuilder. A second tender with the adjusted shipbuilding price of RUB 84,4 billion was announced in Dec 2013.

The Ural icebreaker's itinerary program offers North Pole expedition cruises and also longer itineraries on the Northern Sea Route along the Russia's Arctic coastline. Russia's nuclear fleet of ice-breaking vessels is used exclusively in the Arctic Ocean for escorting merchant ships and assisting research stations floating in the ice-covered waters north of Siberia. These ships are also used for scientific and Arctic cruise expeditions. The Russian nuclear ice-breakers must sail in ice-cold waters to effectively cool their reactors.

Project 22220 icebreakers are equipped with a pair of RITM-200 nuclear reactors with a total of 350 MW thermal capacity. Propulsion power output is 1100 MW. The previouss design was for 60 MW output (the reason why this class is alternatively known as "LK-60"). The Ural ship's maximum ice-breaking capability is 2,8 m / 9, ft at cruising speed between 1,5 - 2 knots (2,8 kph / 1,7 mph).

In May 2015 was reported that Russia made a decision on the development of the design for its newest nuclear-powered icebreakers to be able to move across Arctic ice of thickness up to 4.5 m / 15 ft. The icebreaker features propulsion power of 110 MW. Russia's new icebreakers are nearly twice as powerful as Project 22220 nuclear ships.

The steel for the Ural ship (thick plate "Mill 5000") was supplied by the MMK company (Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works). The company one of the world's largest producers and supplies with steel over 50% of the Russia’s shipbuilding.

Steel plate "Mill 5000" is used for manufacturing the Russia's naval fleet, as well for building tankers and ice-class vessels. The steel is certified internationally, including by Lloyd’s Register and Bureau Veritas.

Note: In case of poor AIS coverage, tracking the vessel's current location is impossible. You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all icebreakers and ice-breaking research ships in the "itinerary" section of our Icebreakers hub. All states and their fleets are listed there.